


This Will All Make Sense When I am Older

by Fericita



Series: When All Is Lost [22]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), Frozen 2 - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22017151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fericita/pseuds/Fericita
Summary: ‘Twas the night before the wedding and all through the land, people were giving advice to Agnarr and Iduna.  It was getting out of hand.Thanks for the beta-ing @the-spastic-fantastic! Again,the, absence, of, too, many, commas, is, thanks, to, her and also the snappy dialogue.  Part of our canon-compliant series When All is Lost about Iduna and Agnarr.
Relationships: Agnarr & Iduna (Disney), Agnarr/Iduna (Disney)
Series: When All Is Lost [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571230
Comments: 24
Kudos: 61





	1. This Will All Make Sense When I am Older

Henrik puffed on his pipe, relishing the taste as well as Agnarr’s discomfort with the topic at hand. The wedding was tomorrow and Henrik, as his most experienced friend in the ways of wooing women, felt it was his duty to impart his hard-earned wisdom for the good of the kingdom. Practical wisdom, in the form of an offer to visit some ladies who would be willing, when paid, to provide some hands on experience.

“No, Henrik! No! That’s - that’s just a crazy thing for a king to do at all, and even crazier for a groom to do the night before his wedding!” Agnarr shook his head vehemently, his ears turning red and his pulse quickening.

“Well if you won’t do that, then at least listen, my friend. I know you want to please Iduna and give the kingdom several heirs – “

At Agnarr’s terrified look, Elias interjected. “You’re scaring him! Stop.” Elias stood and tried to change the topic by setting up the chess board. Henrik waved a dismissive hand at his friend.

“Look, I’ve been with a lot of women and they all really want one thing. To be cherished. So you have to be sure she feels cherished.”

Agnarr placed the pawns on the board, then the rooks, knights, and bishops and gave a soft laugh. “And how was I supposed to learn that from your ladies of the night?”

“Listen, I didn’t say it had to be sincere or eternal, I just said they have to believe it. So whatever you’re feeling, you just have to be sure she feels loved.” Henrik leaned back in his chair and crossed his ankle over his knee, pleased to have offered such helpful words, convinced he had done a service to his kingdom and king.

“You sound like my father,” Agnarr groaned. “Conceal, don’t feel. Though he was speaking about how to handle emotion during a council meeting, not how to woo women. I think.” He made a face. “I hope.”

Elias, setting up the kings and queens, offered “Ag, don’t listen to him. Sincerity is the best thing you can offer and, lucky for you, you are marrying a woman you already cherish. And she knows it. Remember the velocipede you absolutely didn’t buy so you could ride it with her? And the time you almost trampled the entire market square with a herd of reindeer for her? For heaven’s sake, we’ve called you her puppy for years. She knows you love her. You don’t have to worry on that account.”

Agnarr smiled, remembering. What a relief to be on this side of their courtship, their feelings for one another confirmed, their promises of a lifetime commitment to one another merely hours away. But then he frowned, catching the implication of Elias’ words. “Is there another “account” I should be worried about?”

Henrik, hoping to be useful again, straightened up in his seat. “You’ll be fine. Just pay lots of attention to her feet.”

Elias laughed and Agnarr looked alarmed.

“Her…feet?” Agnarr thought that while Iduna’s feet were lovely, there were other parts of her to which he would like to pay particular attention.

Henrik nodded, and then looked at Elias as he said “And I was just trying to take the pressure off. Of course I know how much Ag loves her. The whole kingdom does. Really makes it hard for the rest of us mortal men here to compare.”

Elias interjected before Henrik could continue. “No, Ag, having their feet kissed is not something all women want. Just listen to her and you’ll learn together.”

Agnarr nodded, another question in his mind. “And how will we learn this exactly? I was so bad at kissing her at first, I knocked her in the forehead and then almost bit her,” he blushed at the memory. “It was not my finest moment.”

Henrik groaned. “The kingdom is doomed! There will be a succession crisis! They’ll be childless! He’ll never figure it out!”

Elias playfully shoved Henrik, who continued to smoke his pipe, unbothered. “Think about it this way, Ag. You and Iduna have gone on lots of adventures together. Explored new places, trusted each other in scary moments, laughed at the ridiculous and at nothing at all. This is just one more thing. A great thing, to be sure, but one that you’re both in, together. She wants this and you want this. Just be patient. It might take time, but it will be wonderful.” Elias raised a finger to silence Henrik as he raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “And if anyone reads into that anything about my lovely fiancé, I want to remind them that we are completely pure and blameless and I would do nothing to besmirch my honor or hers. And that my swordsmanship is better than either of yours.”

“And if it’s not wonderful, I have some very helpful charts I can show you, Ag.” Henrik leaned forward, and seemed to reach for his back pocket. “And some manuals from Paris.”

“No! No thank you. I think…we’ll be fine,” Agnarr half-heartedly looked at the chess pieces set up and moved a pawn. Three spaces. Elias moved it back to the start.

“Maybe you should practice buttons. Do kings even dress themselves? Do you even know how to undo buttons or has your valet always done that for you?” Henrik seemed to genuinely be wondering, and began buttoning his coat, perhaps to have Agnarr practice on it.

“Henrik! I do manage to undo the fastenings to use the water closet.” Agnarr managed a true laugh, and his nervousness began to recede.

“Well those are your trousers. Have you thought of practicing on women’s clothes? I’m sure the gown she’s wearing will be very complicated. Maybe we should go find it and have you take a turn undoing the buttons. We could time you! A contest!”

Elias put his arm around Agnarr. “I don’t know what’s in that pipe, but he’s not making any sense. Of course you can do buttons. Of course you will know how to love your wife, and you don’t need any more advice from us or from anyone.”

Agnarr stood up, unable to concentrate on the game, and needing a moment alone. “I’m going to head to the kitchen and get us some food. That will be sure to sober Henrik up and get this game going.”


	2. Don't Let Them In, Don't Let Them See

Greet, Maddie and Iduna sat cross-legged on the giant bed, eating chocolates and sharing sips of mulled wine. Iduna had asked her friends to spend the night in the castle, a final chance to be roommates and act silly and eat a ridiculous amount of chocolate before Iduna's life would start to look very different. 

Maddie and her partner Ingrid would still be making regular deliveries of dry goods to the castle, and those could turn into visits. But Henrik was often traveling and Elias kept hoping to travel, and who knew what Greet would be up to in another week or month or year. The wedding marked a change not just in her status, but in the lives of her friends and their ability to see each other as often as they had.

She didn't know exactly what to expect from royal duties, but Agnarr assured her there was plenty of time to learn, and that the kingdom was so thrilled to gain a queen that they wouldn't mind if she was a different type of queen than had been seen before. Besides, after her traditional medicinal knowledge and skills in curing the Rock Pox, some citizens thought she had magical powers, and who wouldn't love a magical queen? Even one who occasionally forgot the seven different types of customary greetings for Arendellian holidays? Or didn't know how to stand when reviewing the troops?

And really, her official duties would be minimal. She could continue overseeing the gardens and turning their harvest into medicinal stores, joining the council with the official title of Queen rather than as Royal Apothecary, an honorary title she had been awarded for her service in stopping the epidemic. Agnarr had also mentioned something about writing and receiving royal correspondences.

Maddie and Greet, however, were trying to explain to Iduna how they thought she should go about performing one particular royal duty. 

"The first time is just always terrible. It's uncomfortable, if not painful." Greet shrugged and Maddie laughed. Iduna grabbed the chocolates from her, hoping that would change the course of the conversation. 

Greet continued, undeterred. "But it feels so powerful to make a man do that. And it will get better. Be sure to use the chamber pot right after, that way you won't get pregnant." 

Iduna had started off annoyed and now was truly horrified. "Greet! That's not about preventing pregnancy, that's about preventing infection! Tell me you drink that tea I make you, every time. Please?" Was Greet truly so incautious? 

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Listen, neither of you will know what to do at first, and it's fine to just...figure it out on your own. Without him."

Iduna felt her entire face heat up, and took a long sip of wine to cover her discomfort. She invited her friends here for a fun evening, perhaps telling stories of days gone past - The Lutefisk Incident, the velocipede fiasco, the time they all got locked out of the boarding house while it was snowing, Greet’s shoe polish prank on Henrik. She did not want to talk about her wifely duties with her friends, especially as it was becoming increasingly clear they didn't know anything more than she did. Couldn’t they just try on veils and practice walking in the shoes they had to wear tomorrow?

"Move your hands a lot, they love that," Greet took a pillow and imitated an amorous embrace, kissing noises and all. 

Maddie grabbed the pillow and hit her with it. "Tell him what you want him to do." 

Greet rubbed her head, pouting at Maddie. "And moan, it makes them think they're doing a good job. You have to be at least a little encouraging. And listen for his moans, to figure out what he likes."

Iduna thought of their stolen moments in the library and how she already had a pretty good idea of what Agnarr liked, and flushed more deeply at the thought.

"He's the king but he'll want you to boss him around."

"But address him as Your Majesty. Give a curtsy before you start." Maddie laughed as the said it, imitating a curtsy from her position on the bed.

"Do you think he'll wear his crown?!" Greet screamed.

Maddie and Greet collapsed into laughter, and Iduna got off the bed, pulling her robe around her. "I'm going to the kitchen to get more chocolate, and when I get back we are not talking about this again. Ever." Their laughter followed her as she made her way down the dimly lit corridor and towards the welcoming warmth of the kitchens. 

When she arrived, she found Agnarr there, sitting on the table she used to prepare plants and herbs for tinctures and teas.


	3. Ready to Succumb

He was holding a loaf of bread and an apple, looking at them with a bewildered expression, and didn’t notice her walking into the room.

“Agnarr! What are you doing down here?” She reached out a hand to touch his arm, but felt suddenly shy and made an awkward wave instead.

Agnarr looked up, saw her, and answered with a bashful smile. “I told Henrik and Elias I would get us some food, but really I needed some time away from them.”

Iduna lifted herself onto the table and sat next to him, thigh pressed against thigh, her arm against his. It felt too close, so she moved a breadth away. She took the apple out of his hand, set it down next to her, and held his hand, wanting some measure of closeness.

“I needed some time away from Maddie and Greet too.” Talking to him was helping the awkwardness she felt leave, like rinsing dirt from her hands after time in the garden. She tried to drive Maddie and Greet’s words from her head so they wouldn’t infringe upon this moment. She laid her head on his shoulder. “I know they mean well, but I did not want to hear their advice.”

“Oh? What were they counseling you about?” Agnarr set down the load of bread, and reached up to stroke her face. It was easier sitting next to her than facing her. He could still hear Henrik’s words in his head, making his face heat up in an uncomfortable way, and he didn’t want her to see the discomfort on his face.

Iduna gave a small laugh. “They were trying to tell me how to handle our marital relations.” As soon as she said it, she felt shy again. What if he was bothered by her talking to their friends about it?

Agnarr sighed and put his hand back in his lap. It was too difficult to touch her face and admit what Henrik had been saying to him. “Henrik was offering some unhelpful – and unsolicited – advice on the topic as well. I can not emphasize how unsolicited, just in case you hear any crazy stories from the staff.”

They sat in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say next, each wanting to assure the other that everything would be fine, that tomorrow’s wedding and wedding night would be wonderful, but both feeling too nervous about it to make such a declaration.  
Agnarr tried to lighten the mood with a joke. “At least we no longer have the royal tradition of a bedding ceremony. In my great-grandfather’s day, at least six men had to witness the groom taking his wife to bed.” Iduna squeezed his hand and laughed, a small terrified squeak. “We just have to settle for our friends interfering beforehand. They’ll leave us alone tomorrow night.”

Iduna continuing holding his hand in silence and the air around them seem to calm. The longer they held hands, the easier it was to sit there, alone, and forget that there were others in the castle. No wedding guests, no well-intentioned friends, no foreign dignitaries and diplomats. It was just the two of them, a new family as of tomorrow, and a pair of friends since they had been fourteen.

Iduna pulled her head off of his shoulder so she could see him, suddenly needed to see his eyes, suddenly braver and calm. “I think we’ll be just fine tomorrow. I know I’m eager to know you fully and to share one more thing with you.”

Agnarr again cupped her cheek and said “And I as well.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently, lips against lips, and he could feel her smile into it. He broke away. “Remember our first kiss? How I knocked you in the head?”

She laughed and rubbed the spot, a phantom memory that was more pleasing than painful.

“We might have more awkward moments like that, tomorrow and even beyond. But Sunny, there is no one I would rather share all of my moments with than you.” He leaned forward to kiss her again, and he felt her smile, the sun, her warmth. It was a good thing tomorrow was only hours away.


End file.
